Recently information processing has been performed by computer, involving increased amounts of information. Normally, when entering data into a computer, a key on a keyboard as an input medium is operated, or a bar code is read by an automatic optical code reader (OCR). Also, computers and facsimile machines are connected through the aid of interfaces, and data on a data sheet for transmission by facsimile is sometimes entered into a computer.
However, if data is entered into a computer by operating a keyboard, the data must be entered by operating the keys one by one, and thus the operation of data input is very troublesome. For this reason, there has been inconvenience in that the input operation is difficult for unskilled personnel to master and a lot of labor has to be spent even for skilled personnel.
Also, in automatic optical code readers wherein information processing is performed using bar codes, in the case of using devices such as personal computers, there has been inconvenience in that the necessary hardware and software both become expensive.
Further, in the system wherein a computer is connected with a facsimile machine through the aid of an interface, there has been inconvenience in that the computer cannot exactly read the data and thus data processing cannot be steadily performed, particularly if the written data is deformed due to expansion or contraction of the data sheet, or if the data sheet is inserted aslant relative to the feed direction of the facsimile machine.
The object of the present invention is to avoid the above problems by providing a computer input system which uses a facsimile machine and which (1) can be easily and cheaply applied to a personal computer, (2) steadily performs data processing by making the computer exactly read the data, and (3) facilitates the input operation which enters data into the computer without the need for operating a keyboard, by entering data into the computer from a specified data sheet using the facsimile machine.
According to the present invention, a facsimile machine is connected with a computer through the aid of an interface. A data sheet is provided having a character pattern row in which a character pattern of data to be entered is written, a standard pattern row in which a standard pattern related to said character pattern is written, and an identification index whereby a corresponding relationship between said character pattern and standard pattern is identified. The corresponding relationship between the character pattern and standard pattern on said data sheet, which patterns are transmitted to the computer by the facsimile machine through the aid of the interface, is identified by the identification index and at the same time is characteristically considered to be recognized and is entered as data.
Thus when entering data into the computer, operation of a keyboard is unnecessary, and even personnel unskilled in information processing can correctly and easily enter data. Even if the data sheet is inserted aslant when transmitting a specified data sheet by facsimile, the corresponding relation between the read character pattern and standard pattern is considered to be recognized and is entered as data, and so input processing of data can be steadily performed.